Theos-Talk Archives (December 1995 Message tl00136)

Alan

Come to think of it that was also the book that brought me to
Theosophy. It was on Nov in 1951 when I just received my commission as
Ensign in the Navy and I was visiting a friend in his office and saw the
book on his table. My friend said that there is this Navy Captain who
is lending TS books to Navy personnel. I borrowed the book and my
photographic mind then enabled me to finish reading the book that night.
The next day I saw the Captain and we immediately became good friends he
gave me an application form and I paid my membership dues and became a T.S.
member since then.
Ignoring the science part of the book to a new member or to a person
who has no idea about Theosophy most of its contents were very helpful
as an introduction to Theosophy then.

Ruben Cabigting

On 12 199512 Jerry Hejka-Ekins wrote:

>
> Alan writes:
>
> My *very first* book on Theosophy was Jinarajadasa's ~First
> Principles of Theosophy~ which was hard going and took me two
> weeks to read - but I got just about all the basics from a
> one-volume clearly printed volume.
>
> JHE
> Actually that was also the first book on theosophy that I
> seriously read--and it helped to peak my interest in astronomy.
> Ironically through my new interest in astronomy I came to
> realize that the science especially the astronomy is very out
> of date. What is worse CJ's teachings which are essentially
> restatements of CWL's hang on that scientific mis-information.
> I would think that most anyone with a basic scientific background
> would be put off of theosophy if they read it.
> A little over fifteen years ago a representative from TPH
> Wheaton made a business trip to our Lodge and book store. He
> mentioned that TPH London would not reprint ~First Principles~
> because of the out-of-date science. On the other hand I'm
> surprised at how many people still value that book. Used copies
> are very much in demand. It seems that TPH has a good model for
> a basic textbook on theosophy here but it needs to be completely
> rewritten.
>
> Jerry HE
> Member Theosophy International
> International Theosophist
>
> ------------------------------------------|Jerry Hejka-Ekins
> ||Please reply to: jhe@toto.csustan.edu ||and
> CC to jhejkaekins@igc.apc.org
> |------------------------------------------
>